Putin Uses the Russian Orthodox Church to Legitimize His War in Ukraine

In my previous blog post, “The Influence of the Russian Orthodox Church o Russia & Putin,” I outlined some of the history of the Russian Orthodox Church (ROC) in Russia and what trajectory it is on in mainstream politics in Russia.

In this blog post, I would like to take that trajectory a step further and assess the extent to which Putin utilizes the ROC to justify his illegal war in Ukraine and the accession of territory.

It’s a shame a “holy” body is used in this way, but it’s the reality. And we have to grapple with it despite our religious inclinations.

So, let me take you on this journey through Putin’s use of the ROC in his quest to eradicate the concept of ‘Ukraine.’

Photo by Valery Tenevoy on Unsplash

First, it’s important to say that Russia has become increasingly secularized since the fall of the Soviet Union.

We see this especially when we look at the religious participation of Russians during important ROC holidays, which could arguably be one of the better ways to trace religiosity in Russia (and countries more broadly).

For example, most Russians maintain their diets during Lent, which is considered the most important of the four Orthodox fasts.